Setting the right budget

How much should you expect to pay?

We know it's difficult to estimate how much a project will cost, that's why we've surveyed our tradesmen to give you an idea of how much you should expect to pay for specific jobs. Tradesmen all across the country have contributed to the cost guides, so the costs you see are an approximate national average.

Laying new tiles

Repairing tiles

Painting a bedroom

Good condition

Average condition

Poor condition

Low

High

Low

High

Low

High

Painting a bedroom

£75

£188

£115

£280

£150

£375

One of the variable costs associated with painting your bedroom will be the paint you choose to use. These vary in cost and quality from supermarket own brand, through trusted paint brand names, to designer labels with those unique shades that interior design magazines feature. As a rule, you generally get what you pay for as regards to the quality of paint, but an experienced painter and decorator should be able to advise you on brands (including trade brands) as well as on colours and finishes. These vary from matt to silk and various levels of gloss paint.

The painter will also have the expertise to tell you how much paint you need for the size of bedroom you are painting, as well as if undercoats or other preparations may be needed. Many decorators will be happy to either buy the paint for you or work with what you have. You should always ask whether the quote for painting a bedroom include or exclude paint and other materials. Brushes, rollers and other standard tools should all be held by your tradesman and not be charged as extras.

With painting, a good amount of the time you will be paying for is the preparation work. This means that you will get a great finish, which has sharp edges where needed and a consistent look. At this stage your painter may suggest skimming the plasterwork on your walls or ceilings to get an even surface, which will be an additional cost. The preparation for painting your bedroom will mostly involve masking areas such as skirting boards, coving and period features.

Your decorator will also lay down dust sheets to protect carpets, bedding and furniture. Larger items or valuable pieces should be removed from the bedroom beforehand as advised by your decorating professional. Painting large areas of the wall is fairly simple for your painter, but a room that is broken up into small areas, or which has fiddly ornamental decoration to paint around, will take longer to set up and paint and will thus be more expensive.

If you have good quality flat walls then your painter may paint straight over existing paintwork. If the walls are not as true then they may suggest a lining paper is put up to paint over. This also depends on the kind of finish that you require. Always ask your painter what method they intend to do, as there will be a charge attached to putting lining paper up.

Rated People surveyed 60 of our painters and decorators across the country to give you an idea of the approximate costs for a range of interior decorating jobs in your home. Factors which influence cost are the room you want decorating, the job you want doing in it and the condition of the room. We classify surfaces in “Good Condition” as having a few picture hooks or small cracks in the wall, “Average Condition” as having multiple cracks or holes and “Poor Condition” as having larger cracked or damaged plaster.

Please note these prices are average, do not include materials and are offered as guidance only, to help you budget when posting a job on Rated People. Most tradesmen we surveyed said the start price for work is £500, so these costs are really only appropriate if you have more than one room to decorate. For a free quote tailored to your specific requirements, please contact one of our local painter and decorators.